Yarn retriever for braiding or similar machines



S. W. WARDWELL, DECD. c. v. 1. CHRISTENSEN, E. 0. SMITH, A. A. ARMINGTON, AND w. w. BARDSLEY, EXECUTORS. YARN RETRIEVER FOR BRAIDJNG ORSIMILAR MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 9,19l9- A 1 423 587, PatentedJuly 25, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET fjypf S. W. WARDWELL, DEGD. c. v. I. CHRISTENSEN, E. 0. SMITH. A. A. ARMINGTON, AND \v. w. BARDSLEY, EXECUTORS.

YARN RETRIEVER FOR BRAIDING 0R SIMILAR MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 9, I919- 1,423,587.

Patented J lily 25, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

SIMON W. WARDWELL, OF

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND; CARL V. J'. CHRISTENSEN,

EDWIN C. SMITH, ARTHUR A. ARMINGTON, AND WILLARD -W. BARDSLEY, EXECU- TOBS OF SAID SIMON W. WARDWEIJL, DECEASED.

YARN RETRIEVEB FOR BRAIDING OB SIMILAR MACHINES.

Patented July 25, 1922.

Application filed October 9, 1919. Serial No. 329,454.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIMON W. lVAnDwnLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence, State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Yarn Retrievers for Braiding or Similar lVlachines,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in braiding machines and particularly to braiders of the rotary type. In this style of machine the bobbins or yarn-supplies arearranged in two or more sets and revolved in opposite directions about a common axis; the yarns from one set of bobbins being caused to follow a sinuous course to pass them in and out around the supplies of the other set. For this purpose the yarns are manipulated and controlled by yarn-guides or controllers, and the objectot the present improvement is to provide thread-retrieving means for catching a yarn when it escapes from its guide or controller, or should the operator tail to properly apply it thereto, said means being adapted for automatic cooperation with the yarn-controllers to replace the yarns therein.

The manner and this improvement are fully described in the following specification, illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts. In the drawings Fig. 1 is an elevation of one formof braiding-machine of the rotary type, showing the arrangement of the yarn-supplies and the yarn-controlling means therefor, and illustratingr my improved thread-catching and replacing device in connection therewith;

F 2, an enlarged plan-view or development of a portion of the upper supply-carriers oi: the machine, showing their related switches which act to deflect the yarnsfrom the lower supplies in and out around the upper supplies; and

Fig. 8. a planview of a section of the machine, showing two upper and one lower supply-carriers and illustrating the manner in which the thread-retriever operates on the yarn from the lower supply when it becomesv displaced from its guide or controller.

My present improvement is herein shown as applied to a braiding-machine which is imilar' in general structure and arrangemeans for carrying out D. The turrets C and D are driven from a belt-pulleyP at the end of a drive-shaft O which is connected to the turrets by the usual gearing; arranged within the base B, but not herein shown. Spaced around the circumfere'nce ot the outer turret C are a plurality oi: inclined brackets 2 constituting the carriers for thelower set of bobbins or yarnsupplies Y which are mounted on rotatable spind es 3. The unwinding of the bobbins to deliver their yarns is controlled by suitable tension or let-off devices, not herein shown in detail, but adapted to be operated by swinging tension-armsT. The yarns z lead from the bobbins Y across wire guides l, thence through guide-eyes 5 at the ends of the tensionarms T, and are drawn up to the braiding point, indicated at A, where they merge in the braided cord or fabric F.

The outer turret C carries a circular track or guideway H which is divided into segments 6-6, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The upper carriers S are formed with lenticularlyshaped decks 7., resembling shuttles, and are providedwith depending keels or runners 8, see Figs. 1 and 3, which are adapted to slide. in the groove 9 of the tracksections 6 as the carriers S revolve in the opposite direction from the outer turret C which carries the track H. The carriers S are revolved around the track H by means of spaced-apart drivers which are not herein shown as they operate in a well known man nor to allow the passage of the yarns between the carriers and their driving-turret D. Sui-lice it to explain that each carrier S is connected to the turret D by two driverbars which. operate to alternately engage and disengage the carrier to permit the passage of the yarn while constantly maintaining the driving-connection. The delivery of the yarns from the supplies X of the upper carriers or shuttles S is controlled by suitable tension-de'vices not herein shown since the arrangement 01": these details is fully illustrated in my prior patent before referred to and does not relate particularly to the present improvement. It will also be noted that in Fig. 1 I have only illustrated two upper and two lower carriers on either side of the machine, but in practice the tur rets carry a greater number than this; usually four, six, eight or larger multiples in each set.

The yarns 3/ from the lower set of supplies Y are guided in their course around the upper carriers or shuttles S by yarnguides or controllers G. These latter are carried on the outer turret C, being spaced at intervals therearound in appropriate relation to the tension-arms T which regulate the unwinding of the yarns from their bobbins Y. As illustrated in the several figures of the drawings, the controllers G may be constructed from wire rods which project outwardly from the brackets or carriers 2 in substantially parallel relation with the axes of the spindles 3 on which the bobbins Y rotate. At a point intermediate their ends the controllers G are bent to form a guiding-notch or depression 10 in which the yarn y normally lies, as shown most clearly in Fig. 8. At either side of the guidingnotch 10 the wire extends in the inclined legs 11-11 forming a sort of crotch, while at the outer end of the controller the wire is bent around into a hook 12 which acts as a guard to prevent the yarn from sliding off from the controller.

It has been noted that the upper carriers or shuttles S are constructed with lenticularly-shaped decks 7, and it will be observed by reference to Figs. 2 and 3 that their leading ends are formed with sharp-pointed prows 15 which have an important function in determining the course of the yarns around their sides. Referring particularly to Fig. 2, the yarn-controllers G are so located in relation to the path of travel of the shuttles S that when, the yarns y are seated in their crotches 10 they will be di rected to the inside of the points or prows 15 of the shuttles. The yarns y are normally maintained in the crotches 10 of the controllers G by the tension under which they are held by the resiliently operated tension-arms T; and through this provision all of the several yarns y from the lower supplies Y are caused to follow a mean orbital path to bring them against the inner, curved edges of the shuttles S, as indicated by the arrow 2 in Fig. 2. The lower yarns y will thus have a tendency to follow around the inner edges of the shuttles S to pass them to the inside of the upper bobbins X, but if such action took place invariably there would be no braiding effect between the two sets of yarns. It will be obvious therefore that it is necessary to pass certain of the yarns g to the outside of certain of the up per bobbins X, and this is accomplished by deflegting them to the outer edge of the shut tles In some types of machine this selective defleet-ion of the yarns to one side or the other of the leading ends or prows of the upper shuttles is effected by alternately shifting the yarn-controllers G radially outward or inward to a slight extent to produce the over and under relation of the strands in the braid. For this purpose the controllers G may be actuated from a suitable cam or cams, and'this type of construction of the machine is shown and described in my U. S.

vLetters Patent No. 1,197,692, granted Sept.

12, 1916. A more familiar type of machine, however, is that shown in my U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,032,870, first referred to, in which the selective control of the yarns is accomplished by means of individual switches which ooact with of the shuttles S. My present improvement is adapted for use with either of the above types of braiding-mechanisms, or with modified forms thereof, and in'the present disclosure 1 have preferred to illustrate it as applied to a machine of the arrangement shown in the earlier patent herein first referred to.

Referring to Fig. 2, the shiftable yarn deflecting devices or switches R are here shown as consisting of relatively fiat levers pivoted at their inner ends on screwsylG carried on the inner turret D. At their outer ends the switches R are provided with arcuate guiding faces 17 adapted to over-- lap the pointed prows 15 of the shuttles S coincident with their outer edges, to provide a continuation or extension thereof. As herein shown each alternate switch in the series, the switches being arranged around the machine in corelation to theshuttles S, is provided with an inner, short arm 18 carrying a pin 19 engaging a slot 20 in a forked arm 21 on a ring-member U. The switclrring U is. mounted on rollers 22, spaced around the turret D, to adapt it to oscillate about the central axis of the machine in addition to its rotary movement with the turret. Mounted on a fixed pivot 23 on the central standard of the machine is a lever V carrying a block 24 pivoted at its outer end on a pin 25. The block 24 engages a rectangular slot 27 on the inner side of the switch-ring U to adapt the lever V to impart the oscillating movement to the ring. At its inner end the lever V carries a stud or roller 28 engaging a camgroove 29 in a flat cam-disk W which is fast on the central standard of the machine. As the turret D rotates about the standard or base B of the machine the roller 28 follows the cam-groove 29 whereby to impart a rocking motion to the lever V; and the lever, in turn, oscillates the switch-ring U back and forth around the axis of the turret. The switch-ring U is thus caused to rock certain of the switches R into and out the pointed prows ,of pins31, while their opposite ends are pivoted on the pins 19 which connect the opposite switches to the ring U. As shown in Fig. 2, this connection provides that when one set of switches are closed against the prows of the shuttles S to deflect the yarns y outwardly around their sides, the alternate set of switches will be opened away from the points of the shuttles to allow the yarns to pass inwardly therearound. These connections between the switches R and their operating-ring U may be varied to alter the relative action of the switches, and by altering the shape of the cam-groove the order of shifting the yarns y may also be changed to vary the pattern of the braid.

The two sets of yarns y and m draw across a central, tubular support Q as they merge at the braiding point A, and the braided cord or fabric F leads thence to an overhead takeup wheel K around which it is given several turns. The take-up wheel K is mounted on a shaft 32 journaled in bearings at the top of a pair of upright arms 33-33, see Figs. 1 and 3, and is driven through suitable connections with the main drive-shaft of the machine. These latter connections are not herein shown or described as they have no particular relation to the present improve ment, but it will be understood that the rotation of the wheel K acts to feed the strands'or yarns to the braiding point and to deliver the finished braid from the machine. In orderthat the yarn-deflecting means may act on the lower yarns y to selectively control their course in and out around the upper carriers or shuttles S it is essential that the yarns 3 shall at all times be properly located in their guides or controllers G. That is to say, theyarns y from the lower bobbins Y must lead from the tension-arms T through the crotches in the controllers G in order that their path around'the upper carriers may be properly defined in relation to the points of the shuttles S as before explained. It has been found, however, in

practice that a careless operator may sometimes fail to place the yarn back in place.

in the controller G after piecing up the end, or in some instances the yarn may be left slack so that it will fly out of the controller under the action of centrifugal foree when the machine is started to operate. If one of the yarns 3 is left out of itscontroller, or should it escape therefrom, it will be carried around the machine on the outside of the shuttles S, without being deflected to the inside of any of them, and hence it will notbeproperly intermeshed with the other strands so that a fault will appear in the braid. It is to prevent this condition and to insure the proper location and retention of the strands or yarns g in their controllers Gr that the present invention is provided, and to this end the improvement consists essentially of means for catching a displaced yarn and returning it to proper position in its controller.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, my improved threadcatcher and retriever in its simplest form consists of an arm or finger 35 arranged below the path of the upper carriers or shuttles S, and projecting therebeneath in position to catcha yarn drawing across the outer edge of a shuttle should it escape from its respective controller G. The finger 35 may be formed from wire rod with a rounded end, and as a convenient means for supporting it I attach it to one of the uprights 33 which carry the take-up wheel K. As shown in Fig. 1, the rod 35 is bent at right-angles at one end and formed with a U-shaped loop 36 by which it may be attached to the arm 33 while allowing for its adjustment thereon. It will be noted from Fig. 1 that the arm 33 is of skeleton structure and inserted through one of its openings is a bolt 37 which passes through 'holes in two opposite clamping-plates 38-38 arranged to bridge the marginal edges of the opening as shown in Fig. 3. The bolt 3'7 passes through the looped end 36 of the finger 35 with a nut 39 and washer 40 at its end. By tightening the nut 39 against the washer 40 the latter is clamped against the loop 36 which, in turn, bears against one of the plates 38, and the two plates are thus drawn together to bind them against the web of the arm 33. It will be noted from Fig. 3 that the armor finger 35 extends substantially radially toward the axis of the machine and, as shown in Fig. 1, it is inclined downwardly to bring its inner, rounded end below the decks of the shuttles S and just above the outer ends of the controllers G. This adjustment of the finger 35 in. relation to the operating parts of the braiding-mechanism is obtained by loosening the nut 39 on the bolt 37 and tilting or sliding the loop 36 on the bolt.

Having now described the essential elements of the mechanism ofthe braiding-machine and the manner of applying my improvement thereto, the method of operation of the device will next be explained: Referring to Fig. l, in threading up the braiding-machine the upper yarns a" are drawn off from the bobbins or supplies X through their tension-devices, not herein shown, and thence led directly up to the braiding-point A. The lower yarns 3 are led from their supplies Y first around the fixed guide-wires 4., then down through the guide-eyes 5 on the tension-arms T, and finally up across the crotches of the controllers G to the braidingpoint A. Normally, when the yarns 3 are held taut by their tension-devices they will be drawn down into the central notches 10 of the controllers G as they lead therethrough to feed into the braid, see Fig. 2. All ofthe lower yarns 3/ will thus be caused to travel in a fixed orbital path which is concentric with the central axis of the machine, and this course, as before explainech will result in the yarns meeting the leading ends or prows 15 of the shuttles S on the inside edges thereof unless otherwise deflected from their course. \Vhen one of the yarns y meets a shuttle S, which is traveling in the opposite direction, with the respective switch of this shuttle open, then this particular strand will be guided to the inside of the shuttle through the space provided between the shuttle and its driving-head or turrent D. If, on the other hand, a lower yarn 3 comes into opposition with the prow of an upper carrier or shuttle S when its switch It is closed as shown at the left in Fig. 2, then the guiding face 17 of the switch will deflect the yarn onto the outer edge of the shuttle and it will pass to the outside of the upper bobbin X carried thereby. In this way by regulating the action of the switches R to open and close them at intervals the lower yarns 3 are caused to follow a sinuous course to intermesh them with the upper yarns a in any predetermined order in accordance with the pattern to be produced in the braided fabric F.

As the yarns g ride outwardly or inwardly around the lentiform edges of the shuttles S they are allowed to slide along the branches 11--11 of the controllers G, as indicated at the left in Fig. 1. When, however, the yarn i has passed over the swell or bulge on the side of the shuttle deck it will start to slide back again to return to first position in the notch 10 of the controller, whereby it is once more guided in its mean path in predetermined relation to the next shuttle which it meets. In this way the yarns 1 follow around the machine in an undulatory course, while being directed against the leading ends of the shuttles in the manner as above described to effect their selective deflection therearound under the control of the switches R.

With the machine properly threaded, that is with the yarns disposed in their guides and drawing through the controllers G, the course of the lower yarns is defined and regulated thereby to effect the predetermine'd braiding action; but when the lower yarns y are not properly placed in their controllers then the operation'of the braiding-mechanism becomes disrupted. If the operator is careless while piecing up a broken end and fails to replace the strand or yarn y in its controller G, then the parshown at the right in Fig. 1. In such a circumstance the free or uncontrolled yarn will be brought under the influence of the threadcatching device 35 to retrieve it and return it to place inthe controller in the manner as next explained. 1

The relation of the thread-catching finger 255 tothe operating parts of the machine is such that as the controllers G pass it inthe direction indicated by the arrow a, Fig. 3,

while the shuttles pass in the opposite di-,

rection as indicated by the arrow 6, the finger 35 and the controller G are substantially in juxtaposition at the instant the high point or most pronounced bulge of the shuttle deck comes opposite the finger. In other words, as the shuttle S revolves. past the finger 35 the misplaced yarn will be riding on the outermost point of the outer edge of the shuttle and therefore it will be in line with the end of the finger 35 as it dra vs up from the tension-arm T. The displaced yarn y will thus be caught by the arm as shown in Fig. 1, and will be held for an instant thereby as indicated in Fig. 3. Meanwhile the respective controller G which normally acts to guide this particular yarn is moving around in the same direction, as indicated by the arrow a, and during the brief interval that the yarn is being held on the arm the controller willride past in under it. Now, as the turret C and the lower yarn-supply or bobbin Y continue to revolve past the thread-catcher or finger 35 the tension on the yarn y will finally cause it to slip or slide off from the rounded end of the finger. will have passed by the caught yarn, as above explained, and hence the latter will be drawn down under the bent-over end 12 of the controller and into its guiding notch 10.

In this way any one or several yarns which have not been properly placed in their con trollers will be caught'and retrieved, whereby to replace them in the controllers which direct their course around the machine. lVhile I have herein illustrated only one yarn-catching device in cooperative relation with the yarn-controlling means of the machine, it will be obvious that a plurality of such means may be. arranged at intervals about the circumference of the machine if desired, although for most purposes a single device is sufficient since an escaped yarn can only travel one revolution before it will be caught and replaced in its controller. In ordinary circumstances the bent over ends of the controllers G prevent the properly placed yarns from striking against the At this juncture the controller G thread-catching device 35 asthe bobbins revolve past it, and consequently there will be no undue interference with their travel. lVhere a yarn y is left loose or slack, however, it sometimes flies out from its controller, in which event the thread-retrieving device will act as above described to return it to place again.

I believe it to be broadly new in the art to provide in a braider or like textile apparatus means for catching and retrieving a misplaced thread or yarn to return it to its guidingdevices during the operation of the machine. In the present application I have shown and described my improved device in its simplest form as applied to one type of machine, but it is obvious that the structure and arrangement of the device might be varied considerably and that it might be adapted to other types of apparatus without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, without limiting myself to the exact embodiment herein described and illustrated, what I claim is:

1. In combination with a braiding or similar machine, a guide for directing the course of a yarn as it travels in a predetermined path, and means for retrieving the yarn when it escapes or becomes displaced from its guide, said means acting to replace the yarn in the guide.

2. In combination with a braiding or similar machine, a guide revolving about the axis of the machine to direct a strand in its travel therearound, and means adjacent the path of the guide adapted to retrieve the strand if it becomes displaced from the guide and to return itto position therein.

3. In a braiding or similar machine, the combination with a plurality of yarn-supplies traveling in a predetermined orbit about the axis of the machine, of means to guide the yarns as they deliver from their supplies, and means to retrieve a yarn when it becomes displaced from its guiding-means to return it to position therein.

4. In a braiding or similar machine, the combination with two sets of yarn-supplies traveling in opposite. directions about the axis of the machine, of means to guide the yarns from one set of supplies to direct their course in and out around the supplies of the other set, and means for retrieving a yarn when it becomes displaced from its guide to replace it therein.

5. In a braiding or similar machine, the

combination with a plurality of yarn-supplies traveling in circular orbits about the axis of the machine. of controllers for directing the course of the yarns as they deliver from their supplies, and yarn-retrieving means for acting on a misplaced yarn to deflect it into place in its controller.

6. In a braiding or similar machine, the combination with two sets of yarn-supplies traveling in circular orbits in opposite directions abouta common axis, of controllers acrosswhich the yarns from one set of supplies .draw to direct their course relative to the; other set of supplies, and means ar rangedI adjacent the path of travel ofthe controllers to cateha yarn'when it'bec'omes displaced therefrom and to hold the'misplaced yarn andguide it into itsproper, re-

lation with the controller.

7. In 'a braiding or similar machine, the

' the controller as the latter passes by.

8. In a braiding or similar machine, the combination with two sets of yarn-supplies traveling about the axis of the machine, of crotch-like yarn-controllers for guiding the yarns from one set of supplies to cause them to followa predetermined path in relation to the other set of supplies, and a stationary yarn-retriever arranged adjacent the path of the controllers to catch and hold a yarn which lies beyond the reach oiv the controller, said retriever adapted to deflect the uncontrolled yarn into place on the controller.

9. In a braiding or similar machine, the combination with two sets of yarn-supplies traveling in opposite directions about the axis of the machine, of switches for controlling the deflection of the yarns from one set of supplies in and out around the supplies of the other set, means for guiding the yarns to be deflected in a predetermined path in relation to the switches, and means to retrieve a yarn which is displaced in relation to its guiding-means to return it to place in its guide.

10. In a braiding or similar machine, the combination with two sets of yarn-supplies traveling in opposite directions about the axis of the machine, of carriers for carrying one set of supplies, yarn-controllers for directing the course of the yarns from the other set of supplies to guide them into predetermined relation with the leading ends of the carriers, switches cooperating with the carriers to cause the deflection of the yarns guided by the controllers to one side or the other of the carriers, and yarn-retrieving means for acting on a yarn when it becomes displaced from its controller to return it to position therein.

11. In a braiding or similar machine, the combination with a plurality of yarn-supplies traveling in a predetermined course,

of means to guide the yarns as they deliver from their supplies, and a finger projecting into position to catch a yarn displaced beyond the control of its guide, said finger adapted to deflect the yarn into the guide.

12. In a braiding or similar machine, the

combination With a plurality of yarnsupv plies traveling in a predetermined course, oi

10 means to gu de the yarns as they deliver SIMON W. WARDW'ELL. 

